In mobile networks, data packet transmission is often utilized for conveying non-real time data. In non-real time data transfer, retransmission of individual data packets is possible in case a data packet is not received successfully.
A soft handover in a mobile network is a situation, where a mobile can simultaneously have a connection with several base stations. The soft handover, however, poses problems for management of memory that is reserved for handling retransmissions in the individual base stations. As a result, soft combining possibilities will vary across the Node Bs in the soft handover set.
Without effective memory management, overflow and waste of memory resources in base stations during soft handover might occur.